Where Music meets Film and Pop Culture

April 8, 2013February 22, 2019

Artists that take risks in Hip Hop: They’re doing it right!

By Daniel Paiz

Artists that are take risks often not always rewarded for their decision However, we’re going to the highlight those who took the right risks. Both artists that we’ll checking out are independent cats that have put in all kinds of effort, and have also put in all of themselves into it, which not only makes their effort that much more impressive, but the risk and reward that much bigger.

Both artists are kind of making their rounds on various blogs out there, but that’s not the reason we want to delve a bit deeper into each artist. Both artists have been putting in all kinds of work from marketing and promotions to solid art work and immense delivery. These two guys are finally gaining some recognition. Who are these two you ask? Well, they are none other than Honors English and Logic.

If you’ve read this blog before, than you know Honors English is no stranger to this blog when it comes to topics and number of times he is mentioned. This isn’t because this is all we listen to (although at times when new joints come out it can be). We listen to Honors because he puts out messages that he really feels are necessary and meaningful. Now in some ways, all music has a meaning, so let’s clarify a bit. The music English puts out has a thought-provoking meaning, and thus many of his songs have led us to re-evaluate the term “conscious” rapper in favor of a “thought-provoking” one. To get an idea of what we mean, check out his newest tracks, Crazay:

This is just one of many tracks where the wordplay, the imagery, and (to us) most importantly the fantastically thoughtful number of verses he put down. It’s the kind of music that the more you listen to it, the more that comes out of it, all while at the same time it is quite accessible when first hearing it. That’s why we dig Honors, and also why we’ve recently dug into Logic.

Logic is an artist who is probably one of the harder if not hardest working up and comers in the game. His national recognition as one of the top XXL Freshmen of 2013 honor doesn’t do the Maryland kid justice. His passion is super evident, and his effort is as well once you watch his videos and check out his music. While his style and delivery are a bit different than Honors (not to say he doesn’t have the same type of skill), who he presents to the audience oozes thru the music to the listener. If you haven’t heard some of the joints Logic has put out, than Walk on By is a great first one to hear:

The passion emanates from his words and just kind of waves around him like an aura. It’s not something that you see from many artists out there. Hopefully the Freshmen XXL Class of 2013 is just the beginning. Like Honors, the sky is the limit for this emcee.

To reiterate the above: both artists are extremely talented, you should check them out, and you should also check out similar artists who are out there putting in the same kind of work ethic who aren’t as popular as these two but deserve the chance. The future of Hip Hop is artists like these, because of the focus and dedication to the art form itself, and not so much attention to what corporate types are looking for. These artists could change down the road, but what they’re doing indicates that hustle and passion will keep them on whatever track they’re destined for.